Using my 65" TV as a regular monitor - doable?

[swchoi89]

Hi guys,

Is it possible to use my 65" TV as a regular monitor? I tried using my laptop (which has GTX 960M) but there is this input lag which drives me nuts. I'm wondering if it'll always be like this even if I use something as power as i7-7700K + GTX 1080 Ti?

 

[Rifter]

the source GPU is unlikely to be the cause of the input lag.

 

[nathanddrews]

What TV do you have?

For starters, you'll have to see if it has a "Game Mode" or "PC Mode" or "PC Input". Those modes typically disable all the image enhancement processing in order to provide lower input lag. If your TV does not have those settings, then you can manually disable all the extra processing like "dynamic contrast", "noise reduction", any sort of frame smoothing, etc. Turn it all off, you don't need it anyway.

TVs need all that extra processing because most content (broadcast TV, cable/satellite TV, streaming, physical media) is compressed in a variety of ways that need to be cleaned up. Content coming from a computer is uncompressed with no need to improve the image because it is completely perfect as is.

 

[swchoi89]

What TV do you have?

For starters, you'll have to see if it has a "Game Mode" or "PC Mode" or "PC Input". Those modes typically disable all the image enhancement processing in order to provide lower input lag. If your TV does not have those settings, then you can manually disable all the extra processing like "dynamic contrast", "noise reduction", any sort of frame smoothing, etc. Turn it all off, you don't need it anyway.

TVs need all that extra processing because most content (broadcast TV, cable/satellite TV, streaming, physical media) is compressed in a variety of ways that need to be cleaned up. Content coming from a computer is uncompressed with no need to improve the image because it is completely perfect as is.

My TV is UN65KS8000 (Samsung).

OK, I will try with those modes disabled. Even on my desktop I feel the lag when I move my mouse cursor.

 

[nathanddrews]

The KS8000 is one of the better TVs in terms of input lag, but you will have to turn on "Game Mode".
Details:

http://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/ks8000#comparison_200

 

[Dave3000]

My opinion is that PC gaming is better done at a desk with a real monitor than a big screen TV while sitting on a couch since many PC games have better control, especially flight simulator games that you can access the instrument panel with a mouse or playing games that don't have native gamepad support, if you have a mouse handy. Using a mouse while sitting on a couch I can imagine is very uncomfortable. Also generally monitors have less input lag than TVs. Also people sit closer to a monitor while sitting at the desk than a TV while sitting on a couch so a bigger screen if you sit farther away is not really going to be beneficial.

 

[Fire&Blood]

I have that TV, using it as a monitor only for a little over a year now. PC mode is the minimal input lag mode, IIRC, HDMI port 2 is the only port to use the PC mode (check the user guide) unless you start renaming hdmi ports. At it's size range, it was the best option in terms of 4:4:4 chroma subsampling, image quality and input lag.

Check your firmware, you should be on 1203, if not, update to it. It reduces the input lag though input lag was decent even under the firmware it shipped with. Gaming on it is comparable to a regular monitor.

The model has been discontinued and replaced by Samsung but it remains the best option for big monitors. Even if you are willing to spend a lot, no one caters to the 50"+ gaming monitor market yet.
I did extensive research, there is no clear winner, with other TV's, you are just trading one flaw for another (input lag, lack of 4:4:4, image retention, etc, etc)

The biggest flaw of our TV in gaming is situational. If you are in a dark game game menu with a bright cursor, moving your mouse around will make the area the cursor is in brighter as the TV doesn't have advanced local dimming. This flaw is a lot more tolerable than the others you might trade it for if you opt for another TV.